


Meek, But Not Done

by authoressjean



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, BAMF Dean Winchester, BAMF Sam Winchester, Big Brother Dean Winchester, Brotherly Love, Dean Winchester is Protective of Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester is Sam Winchester's Parent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, Episode: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Gen, Grief, Missing Scene, Screw you Chuck, Season/Series 15, Season/Series 15 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:28:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27559855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/authoressjean/pseuds/authoressjean
Summary: Missing scene from 15x19: Inherit the Earth, before they leave the bunker.Sam saw the need in Michael's eyes. The glow in Jack's eyes. Everything else fell into place after that.Dean saw the spark in Sam's eyes for the first time in far too long. If anyone could put together the final play to stop Chuck, it was his brother, and Dean was going to back him. And no matter what happened, they'd stand together, the way they were always meant to.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Jack Kline & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Comments: 20
Kudos: 96





	Meek, But Not Done

**Author's Note:**

> Matthew 5:5 - Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth. I thought it an apt title for the episode indeed.
> 
> I told my darling friend Angelica that while I adored the episode, I agreed that it felt a bit rushed. If there'd just been one more scene with less exposition, more scene and emotion, I'd have been golden.
> 
> Well. That's this scene, hopefully wrapping up a lot of the holes that many have rightfully called out. Like Dean's complete glossing over Cas's loss (which, honestly, does make sense because Dean shoves it all down), and Chuck digging at Sam and Dean doing nothing about it though he clearly notices.

For a moment, Dean didn’t know what to do. It was silent and still for the first time in what felt like days but really was just barely ten minutes.

Lucifer. A reaper becoming Death. The new Death reading the death book, Lucifer killing her, Michael killing Lucifer—

He shook himself and took stock of where everyone else was now. Michael stood, looking almost dazed, blade in his hand. There was a lost look on his face, the sort that Dean imagined followed a lot of “happily ever after” moments in the movies. When you’ve accomplished the sole task you set out for, what the hell happens after?

Across from them, Jack seemed to be all but vibrating, and a moment later, Dean stared as his eyes flashed yellow. The same yellow they’d been after absorbing Adam’s rib. What the—

Sam stumbled away from him, tearing Dean’s focus to where Sam was clearly headed: the death book. Which was now sprawled on the floor. The _open_ death book.

He glanced back at Jack, but his eyes had gone back to normal. He just looked winded now, exhausted. Yeah, Dean knew the feeling. He didn’t look like he was going to explode, though, so Dean chose to follow after Sam.

He got there just as Sam carefully picked the book up, keeping the pages open. He pulled it up and then stared. Dean felt his jaw drop.

Blank. The pages were all blank.

Slowly Sam flipped through a few pages, and then faster, quickly moving over them. Every single page was blank. So it was true: only Death could read it.

“I can’t believe Father would choose _him_.”

Beside him, Sam went very still. Dean leaned closer on instinct because they’d lost everyone else, he’d lost _Cas_ , and he’d be damned before he saw anything happen to Sam. He could learn to live without the others. Mostly. But Sam’s death wasn’t happening.

Even so, it took a moment for the words to actually process, and then he didn’t understand why Sam was so tense. Because Michael still looked lost, like a big brother who’d done the worst thing imaginable. “Chuck’s getting desperate,” Dean said. His voice felt loud in the silence. “He’s got to know you’re on our side, and who rattles you the most?”

Michael turned then, still looking bewildered. “Yes, but there are dozens of other enemies Father could’ve pulled out to needle me. Father has never truly loved Lucifer. Lucifer was never the favorite. Why would he choose Lucifer?”

It hit a split second later. Michael wasn’t just upset. Michael was upset and _jealous_. Even after everything, Michael still wanted to be Chuck’s favorite kid.

Michael finally sighed and glanced at the book. “What does it say?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Dean kept his surprise to himself. Sam’s face was a perfect face of earnestness and just the right amount of dwindled hope. “I think…I think I can translate it,” Sam continued slowly. “We should have what I need to dig into it. But I need time.”

“Which we don’t have a lot of left,” Dean cut in smoothly. “If Chuck’s willing to pull out Lucifer, then we’re down to the last few seconds of the game. I’ll go with Sam, get him set up.”

“Jack,” Sam called suddenly, and Jack glanced at them then, looking less tired than he had before. There was something almost shining in his eyes, and he looked far more like himself than he had in a long time.

“I can give you a few more things to look through, if you want to help.” Sam’s voice was solid, and it wasn’t a question. When his gaze moved towards Michael, however, he went tense beside Dean again.

Dean jumped in once more. “Michael, there’s a few books mostly in Enochian we haven’t had the time to translate. You wanna be useful, start there.”

Michael nodded stiffly but he was still a soldier through and through needing direction, and he moved towards the door that Dean pointed at. Let him wander the whole damn bunker. Dean didn’t care.

Sam took off immediately in the opposite direction, and Dean followed, Jack right on his heels. They wove through the hallways at an almost run, Sam heading straight for—

“Not there,” Dean said, bringing Sam to a halt. Dean swallowed hard and refused to look into the room. If he did, all he’d see was Castiel, standing tall with a smile against the Empty. And he couldn’t do it. Not now. He couldn’t do it now because Sam needed him, Jack needed him, the whole damn world needed him.

Grieving would be a gift to himself if the world didn’t end.

Sam didn’t question it, just kept going to the next reference room and got them inside. The Enochian sigils on the walls would be more than enough to keep Michael from eavesdropping. Which, apparently, Sam was interested in, if the way he eyed the sigils was any indication. “What’s going on?” Dean asked as soon as Sam turned back.

“What does the book say?” Jack asked.

Sam just turned the book around. Jack’s mouth fell open. “But I thought—”

“No, I needed him to think it,” Sam said, and _there_ was the spark that had been missing since Eileen had disappeared. _There_ was the kid who could find any answer, outsmart the Empty, last against Lucifer, who could do the impossible.

Didn’t mean Dean wasn’t completely lost. “Why?”

“You heard him in there,” Sam said. “Dean, all he wants is to be Daddy’s favorite. There’s a reason that Lucifer told him that.”

Jack frowned. “I thought that was sort of silly.”

“Not to Michael,” Sam said firmly. “And not to Lucifer.” He took a deep breath in. “That was all Lucifer threw at Michael, in the Cage. ‘Guess you’re not Daddy’s favorite anymore.’ ‘Maybe I’ll be Daddy’s favorite next.’ And nothing made Michael angrier than those words.”

They’d certainly set Michael off tonight, just like Lucifer had clearly wanted. It didn’t escape Dean’s attention that Sam was volunteering information about the Cage, something he never did, and it looked like the end of the world brought everything out to the table if it meant saving the day.

Dean sure as hell hadn’t missed the way Sam had taken a step backward from Lucifer, the way his eyes had never left the Devil’s as Lucifer had paced and done his usual merry jig and smiled at them. Or the way Sam had flinched and hunched in on himself as Chuck had thrown this entire mess at Sam, casting the blame on him. Chuck was digging at Sam every way he could, and frankly, Dean was tired of it. No one messed with his little brother. Including God himself.

So whatever Sam said? Dean was gonna back it a hundred and fifty percent.

“So he did it on purpose,” Jack said, and Sam nodded.

“Michael wants to help us. But he wants Chuck’s approval more.”

Sometimes Dean was able to catch up and put two and two together at the same time. “He’s gonna tell Chuck what we’re doing.”

“There’s no way he’s not spilling everything to Chuck right now, in the hopes of getting back into his dad’s graces,” Sam agreed. His lips turned up into a dangerous grin. “So let’s give him something to blab.”

This time, Jack beat Dean to the punch. “You want to come up with a fake ending for Chuck.”

“Yeah. Yeah I do.”

“But why? What good will that do? He’ll just smite you,” Jack said helplessly. “We’ll get his attention and he’ll hurt you. He’ll hurt you both.”

Sam didn’t say anything, just turned towards Jack, and Dean suddenly realized that Sam had seen Jack’s eyes, too. Except he didn’t look surprised: he still looked determined. “What happened back in there, Jack?” Sam asked. “Your eyes glowed.”

“They did?” Jack asked, frowning. He seemed to take stock of himself and then shook his head. “I don’t know why.”

“Then what happened?” Dean pressed. “Are your powers coming back online?”

Jack tilted his head, just a little, and for a moment, all Dean could see was Castiel, pondering something out, head tilted to the side in reflection. He felt a shudder move through him and he forced it back down. Not now. Not _now_. “Jack,” he said, if just to give himself something to do.

“I don’t think so,” Jack said slowly. “It…it felt more like it did when I took in Adam’s rib. The big bomb. But I’m not going to explode. I know that.”

Sam went still. “Took in,” he murmured. He glanced at Dean, eyes wide. “That bomb was meant to absorb Chuck. Like a black hole, right?”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“What if that’s still going on? What if he’s absorbing things? Energy?”

“From what?” Dean asked incredulously, then stopped. The plants. The bursts of power from the archangels. Hell, Jack was probably pulling from their limited supply of energy, unable to _not_ do so. He was taking in everything from everywhere. A perfect black hole, but he wasn’t unstable. No, if anything, Jack looked taller and calmer than ever before. Confused, maybe, but this wasn’t the same kid who’d been burning out.

In an instant Dean realized what Sam wanted to do. “You think…?”

“How pissed off do you think we can make Chuck?” Sam asked.

Dean smirked. “Now _that_ I know I can do. In my sleep.”

“No,” Jack said, and he didn’t look calm anymore. He looked frightened. “You’ll, you’ll die! He’ll _kill_ you before I get enough power to stop him!”

“It’s god power you’d be pulling in, kid,” Dean pointed out. “It shouldn’t take too long to charge you up.”

“It’s _god power_ ,” Jack repeated back to him, still clearly scared. “That means one snap of his fingers and you’re both gone.”

Sam didn’t say anything, but it was clear what he was thinking. And honestly?

Dean was sort of with him on the idea. If Chuck killed them, then it would be enough power for Jack to take him on. Jack would handle him, too. No problem. Chuck, stopped. World, saved. Dean didn’t need to be around to see it happen.

And he’d get to go with Sam. At the end of the day, that was the only way he wanted to go. From the look on Sam’s face, it was clear that his brother felt the same way. His lips turned up into a small smile, and Sam matched it.

“ _No_.”

Dean glanced at Jack, surprised at the ragged whisper. “Jack—”

“I’ve lost Cas,” Jack choked out. His eyes swam with tears. “I’ve lost Donna and Jody and my mom and everyone I’ve ever cared about, I lost _Cas_ , I can’t lose you both too. Please.”

Sam didn’t seem to have anything to say, for once, though his mouth parted as if he wanted to try. In the end, though, nothing came out.

Once again, Dean stepped in.

He moved forward and rested a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “You can do this,” he said quietly. “We know you can. We believe in you. Cas,” and he took a breath before continuing. “Cas believed in you, through it all. We do, too. If we go, then we go. But you’ve got a chance to stop him, Jack. We have to take it.”

Then, softer, “Don’t make Cas have died for nothing. Let’s make his sacrifice count.”

Jack slowly nodded, as if he hadn’t considered that. He watched as the kid’s shoulders rolled back, and he blinked once, removing the tears. “Okay,” Jack said quietly. “Okay. Just…try to live, okay?”

Dean couldn’t help the snort. “Every day, kid. Every day.”

After a moment, Sam cleared his throat, and Dean watched him blink his own tears away. “You got something that’s going to actually catch Chuck’s attention, make it seem legit?” Dean asked him.

A nod. “Yeah, I think so. Rowena’s books have to have something. There was something where she’d mixed Enochian into it, which is bound to seem valid. Give me some time, and give Michael some space to contact Chuck. I’ll come out when I’ve got it gathered.”

Time to distract an archangel. “Poker face, Jack,” Dean told him. “Let’s see if we can trick Michael and Chuck.”

“And save the world?” Jack asked as they headed out into the hallway.

Dean stole a glance behind him. Sam had already set the death book aside and was quickly scouring the shelves for ingredients. Alive, unsteady, but pulling himself together because he had to. His little brother, all grown up, and ready to fight beside him. Ready to die beside him, if it came to that.

“Yeah,” Dean said quietly. “And save our world.”


End file.
